Expert To Explore Myths, Realities Gay Teens Face

ITHICA, NY - Tragedy can focus public attention on prejudices that need to be confronted – but speculation about the extreme danger of being young and gay is not supported by science, and can send messages that risk spawning even more tragedy.

That according to Ritch Savin-Williams, professor of developmental psychology at Cornell University and author of the widely acclaimed book “The New Gay Teenager.” As director of Cornell’s Sex & Gender Lab, Savin-Williams is on the leading edge of academic research into gender identity, sexual orientation and adolescent development. His work explores the similarities of sexual-minority youth with all youth, as well as the ways sexual-minority adolescents vary among themselves and from heterosexual youth.

On Tuesday, Nov. 9 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at Cornell University’s ILR Conference Center in Midtown Manhattan, Savin-Williams will join journalists for an on-the-record conversation about the real state of growing up gay in America as featured speaker for the November edition of Inside Cornell.

About Inside Cornell: A monthly series held in New York City featuring high-interest experts working at Cornell University's centers in Ithaca, Manhattan and around the world. The sessions are on-the-record, and media members are welcome to record video and audio as desired. The informal lunches are designed to make researchers and scholars readily available to members of the press.